Predicting Ravens' Starting Lineup After the 1st Wave of Free Agency
The Baltimore Ravens are a different team now than they were before the start of free agency.
Unfortunately, they're not as good as the one that won 10 games and made it to the divisional round of the playoffs this past season.
That's what happens when you lose your top receiver in Torrey Smith, No. 1 tight end in Owen Daniels and a key pass-rusher in Pernell McPhee.
Baltimore also traded away the anchor of the defensive line in Haloti Ngata to the Detroit Lions. All of these moves have caused significant changes across the starting lineup on both sides of the ball.
Here's a look at who would be starting at every position if the Ravens played today.
Quarterback: Joe Flacco
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Joe Flacco isn't going anywhere, and he'll be the starting quarterback once again in 2015. After a subpar 2013 season, Flacco bounced back nicely in 2014.
In the regular season, he threw for 27 scores and just 12 picks one year after throwing 22 picks versus just 19 touchdowns.
Then, as he's prone to do, Flacco elevated his game in the playoffs.
In two postseason games against the Steelers and Patriots, Flacco completed 46 of 74 passes (62.1 percent) with six touchdowns and two interceptions, good for a QB rating of 100.7.
Flacco may not be in the elite tier of NFL quarterbacks, but he's good enough to lead Baltimore to another Super Bowl if he has a solid supporting cast.
Running Back: Justin Forsett
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The Ravens lost several key players in free agency, and it looked for a while like Justin Forsett was going to be one of them.
However, after he tested the open market, he ended up re-signing with the Ravens.
He'll be the starting back in 2015, especially with news of backup Bernard Pierce's DUI arrest, according to Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun (h/t Pro Football Talk).
Forsett was the workhorse back for Baltimore in 2014, rushing for 1,266 yards (fifth-most in the NFL last year). He'll continue to be the No. 1 back for the Ravens in 2015.
Fullback: Kyle Juszczyk
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One of the more underrated players during Baltimore's 10-6 season was fullback Kyle Juszczyk. Drafted in the fourth round out of Harvard in 2013, he emerged as the starting fullback this past season after the team released Vonta Leach in the offseason.
In addition to being a solid blocker in the run game, Juszczyk was a nice option in the pass game coming out of the backfield. He finished the regular season with 19 catches for 182 yards and one score.
In two playoff games, he caught six passes for 45 yards. Those aren't eye-popping numbers by any stretch, but they're still pretty good when you consider he was the fourth or fifth option in the offense.
Having a fullback who can make a play when he's infrequently called upon is a nice addition for any offense.
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Tight End: Crockett Gillmore
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The Ravens lost Owen Daniels to the Denver Broncos this offseason, which left the tight end position with a big question mark heading into 2015.
Until Dennis Pitta decides on whether or not to continue his playing career, he can't be counted on as a starter for next season.
That leaves second-year man Crockett Gillmore to be the projected starter in 2015, with Phillip Supernaw as his backup. Those two combined for 17 catches for 148 yards and one score.
Gillmore was just a rookie out of Colorado State last year, so there's reason to hope he still has a lot of room for growth in Year 2. He may end up being Baltimore's No. 1 tight end in 2015, and that would be the case if the season opened today.
Guard: Kelechi Osemele and Marshal Yanda
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The Ravens have done a great job of keeping their offensive line intact, and the strength of their line resides in the interior.
Kelechi Osemele is a quality left guard who has that spot locked down for the foreseeable future. The same is true with Marshall Yanda on the right side, and he's the best player on the Ravens offensive line.
This past season, Yanda was named to the Pro Bowl and finished the year with an outstanding 45.0 grade via Pro Football Focus. That was the best of any Ravens player.
Those two will continue to anchor the offensive line in 2015, and hopefully beyond that.
Tackle: Ricky Wagner and Eugene Monroe
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The Ravens are set at all five positions along the offensive line, but that wasn't the case going into last year's offseason.
Baltimore needed to find a new right tackle in 2014, and it stayed in-house with Ricky Wagner after he spent his rookie season on the bench.
This past season, Wagner started in 15 games and locked down the right side of Baltimore's line. He'll remain the starter in 2015, as should Eugene Monroe at left tackle.
This past season, Monroe started 11 games while missing five due to a knee injury. If he can stay healthy, he will remain the starting left tackle going forward.
Center: Jeremy Zuttah
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Baltimore acquired Jeremy Zuttah via a trade with the Buccaneers last offseason, and it paid off big time. All it took for Baltimore to get him was a fifth-round pick, and it was a steal for the Ravens.
Zuttah went on to start all 16 games and help anchor a Ravens offensive line that surrendered only 19 sacks in 2014, the second fewest of any NFL team.
Going forward, Zuttah will continue to be the starting center as long as he helps anchor a line that protects the franchise quarterback so well.
Wide Receiver: Steve Smith and Marlon Brown
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Torrey Smith left in free agency to sign with the San Francisco 49ers, leaving the Ravens without their No. 1 receiver of the past three seasons.
The relatively thin position is getting even thinner as the offseason continues with no outside receivers having been signed.
For now, Steve Smith Sr., Kamar Aiken and Michael Campanaro are the top three receivers, which isn't encouraging. Smith did catch 79 passes for 1,065 yards and six touchdowns this past season, but the latter two combined for just 31 catches for 369 yards and four scores.
Expect Baltimore to select a receiver early in this year's NFL draft.
Defensive Line: Timmy Jernigan, Brandon Williams and DeAngelo Tyson
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Baltimore's defensive line will have most of the top rotational guys back in 2015, but it will be missing All-Pro lineman Haloti Ngata.
After trading him to the Detroit Lions this offseason, the Ravens will likely utilize a defensive line of defensive end Chris Canty, nose tackle Brandon Williams and defensive tackle Timmy Jernigan.
Canty and Williams are veterans who have started enough games that Baltimore will feel good about them, but Jernigan will be a bit more of a question mark.
He showed a lot of promise as a rookie in 2014 and should be ready to take on a starting role in 2015. However, expecting him to replace Ngata's production will be foolish.
The defensive line will still be good in 2015, but it will endure a drop-off in production now that Ngata is in Detroit.
Inside Linebackers: CJ Mosley and Daryl Smith
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Baltimore won 10 regular-season games and a playoff game due in large part to the play of the linebackers, particularly C.J. Mosley and Daryl Smith on the inside.
Those two combined for 261 total tackles, four sacks, three interceptions, three forced fumbles and 17 pass deflections last season. They were all over the field in both run and pass defense.
Mosley was even a candidate for NFL Rookie of the Year, and he'll only get better in his second season in 2015. Smith is a solid veteran who has helped Mosley's development while also making an impact on the field.
There's no reason to doubt that this position is the strength of the Ravens defense.
Outside Linebacker: Elvis Dumervil and Terrell Suggs
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While the inside linebacker position was the strength of the Ravens defense in 2015, the outside linebacker spot was a close second.
Terrell Suggs and Elvis Dumervil were unstoppable at times as pass-rushers, and they routinely terrified opposing quarterbacks.
Those two combined for 29 sacks and 98 total tackles this past season. Dumervil alone had a franchise-record 17 sacks last year.
Those two were a force off the edge that dramatically affected opponent's passing games. That should be the case again in 2015.
Safeties: Matt Elam and Kendrick Lewis
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The Ravens lost one starting safety this offseason, and the other spot may be up for grabs. Baltimore waved goodbye to Darian Stewart, who signed a three-year deal with the Denver Broncos.
Then there is the case of Will Hill. He's a restricted free agent who was given just a $1.542 million right-of-first-refusal original-round tender, according to The Baltimore Sun.
What that means is any NFL team can sign Hill to an offer sheet, but Baltimore has the right to match it. Until it's clear Hill will be back, I'm penciling in Kendrick Lewis and Matt Elam as the starting safeties.
Lewis was signed this offseason after spending this past year as the starting free safety for the Houston Texans. He racked up 84 tackles, six pass deflections, three forced fumbles and two interceptions in 16 games in 2014.
At the strong safety spot, Elam takes over after an up-and-down career to this point. Drafted in the first round out of Florida in 2013, he has been unable to lock down a starting role thus far.
He may have to in 2015, but with a nice veteran like Lewis next to him, it should be manageable.
Cornerbacks: Lardarius Webb and Jimmy Smith
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The Ravens have a nice one-two punch at cornerback when everyone is healthy. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case last year, as injuries prevented Lardarius Webb and Jimmy Smith from playing together much in 2014.
Webb missed the first three games last season while recovering from a training camp injury. He didn't reclaim his starting spot until six games into the season, while Smith was having a great start to his season.
However, Smith suffered a season-ending foot injury and missed the final eight games of the year. Between those two missing so much time due to injury, cornerback was a weakness for Baltimore.
If these two are healthy, they'll be the opening-day starters at corner in 2015, and they'll be a solid tandem.
Kicker and Punter: Justin Tucker and Sam Koch
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The Ravens special teams was solid in 2014, and that shouldn't change in 2015 with both the starting punter and kicker back in the fold.
Sam Koch finished with a career-high 47.4 yards-per-punt average this past season. He also had a career-high 43.3 net yards per punt.
As for Justin Tucker, he was once again one of the NFL's best kickers. He converted 29 of 34 attempts (85.3-percent), including a 55-yard make.
His only five misses were from 50-plus yards out. Tucker finished the year with 129 total points, including 42 extra points made on 42 attempts.
Baltimore's special teams is one of the best overall units in the NFL, and it should remain that way in 2015.
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